As Compounding Law Passes, Split Views Persist.

Sun, 01/19/2014 - 21:18

The Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA), which aims to close holes in the regulation of compounding pharmacies, was recently voted into law. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed the bill by a voice vote. Speaking from the Senate floor on November 12, 2013 Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) called the bill “a matter of life and death,” referring to 2012’s deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis traced back to the New England Compounding Center. But outside of Washington, support for the new law is mixed. In a statement on September 28, 2013 David G. Miller, RPh, Chief Executive Officer of the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP), said the bill “does not contain any provisions that speak directly to standards aimed at raising the quality of compounded medications.” The legislation “will not protect the American public” and “contains significant gaps,” the trade group added.